The Fire in Her Eyes
by Smiling and Stabbing
Summary: If you can see the fire in her eyes, it's already too late. DannySam


Notes: There is a longer author's note at the end, you can read it if you like. For now, just a few things: 

Pairing: Danny/Sam

WARNINGS: this story contains non-explicit discussions of under-aged sex (two 16 year olds), discussions of non-consensual sex, explicit language, and blatant Tucker Third Wheel syndrome. Basically, not for kids.

This takes place two years into the future from the current series, putting the ages of the gang at 16 for Danny and Tucker, 17 for Sam (see my longer author's note about that). This was written before "Fright Before Christmas" aired, so any inconsistencies between that episode and this fic are because of that.

"So, let me guess," Sam Manson asked with her usual bitingly sarcastic tone, "you're holding out on asking anyone to the Winter Formal because you're hoping Paulina will go with you."

Danny Fenton slurped another sip from his straw before giving his friend a hurt look. "Come on Sam, what's wrong with that?"

Sam shook her head, her black hair swishing around her face. "Well, Danny, it's been, what, three years now, and she still won't give you the time of day unless she's got questions about Danny Phantom."

Danny quickly responded with, "Who is also technically me." He paused for a few seconds, and then continued with, "So, she will, in fact, give me the time of day."

"He's got a point, Sam," Tucker Foley added, siding with Danny as usual on this issue. "And you know, sometimes persistence is the key."

"This isn't persistence, Tucker, this is stupidity," Sam argued.

"Come on, guys," Danny interceded. "Look, we decided to have a nice, calm Saturday here at the mall doing our Christmas…"

"…Or holiday," Sam corrected.

"…Or holiday shopping," Danny finished. "So why don't we stop talking about the formal and talk about something else. Like…"

"GHOST!" the scream was coming from the opposite store front, where a guy with shaggy blonde hair had just come running out of the music store.

"See, like ghosts!" Danny said, relieved. He ducked behind a clothing rack, there was a flash of light, and suddenly Danny Phantom was in action.

"You've gotta admit," Tucker said, admiringly, "he's got a hell of a talent for changing the subject."

The two friends charged in after Danny, Sam reaching into her bag for a Fenton Thermos, and Tucker retrieving a Fenton Fisher from the inside pocket of his winter coat. They stopped short just after entering the store, looking around for Danny and the supposed spook he'd gone after.

It didn't take long before Danny and the ghost slammed into the cash register, having apparently just become visible again. Tangled with their friend they could make out a familiar shock of bright blue hair. And if the hair hadn't given it away, the voice would have.

"Get off of me, you dipstick!" the ghost screamed, kicking Danny off of her.

Danny recovered quickly and hovered a few feet in front of the girl. "Ember, why don't you do your Christmas shopping…"

"…Holiday shopping," Sam mumbled.

"…In the ghost zone?" Danny asked, before throwing a punch at the specter. Ember dodged, and then aimed her guitar at Danny.

"What makes you think I'm shopping?" Ember asked. "I've got more important business to attend to here."

She nailed a chord on her guitar, sending shockwaves at Danny and sending him flying across the store. He slammed up against the wall, hard, and winced in pain.

"Danny! Here!" Tucker yelled, tossing the Fenton Fisher at Danny. Danny caught the tool, and then proceeded to extend it to its full length. He cast the line at Ember, who, wisely, dodged, leapt onto her guitar, and started to zoom towards the door.

Sam ran to intercept the ghost girl with the Thermos. She pulled the top off, but before she could activate it, Ember caught on. "Not this time. I hate that stupid thing."

She quickly went intangible, and slammed through Sam's body.

There was a second of confusion for both girls. Something vibrated through each of them, and they could both hear a deep male voice saying, simply "Say my name."

"Sam, now!" Danny yelled at his friend. Sam shook her head and looked up at him.

"What?" she called back.

"Turn around!" But when she did turn around, Ember was gone.

"She turned tail and left?" Sam asked the two boys a few minutes later.

"Yeah, she was headed right for you, then she disappeared for a few seconds, then she was behind you," Danny, now reverted to his human form, filled her in. "And then, poof, gone."

"What exactly happened? Did she try to overshadow you or something?" Tucker asked.

"No, I don't…I don't think so. I mean, it didn't feel like she was," Sam shook her head in confusion. "It was weird. And…I dunno, warm?"

Danny and Tucker looked at each other in confusion. "Warm?" Tucker asked.

"Yeah," She looked at the boys apologetically. "I'm sorry, guys. So much for our peaceful trip to the mall."

"Yeah, but now I'm worried," Danny said. "Usually Ember's plans involve mind control. I didn't see any mind controlling going on in there."

"You think maybe she's changed her tactics?" Tucker asked.

"Well, she hasn't changed her insults, that's for damned sure," Danny replied.

"I'm more concerned with her 'important business,'" Sam interjected. "What could be more important for Ember than taking over the world?"

Ten minutes later the three were in the mall parking lot, headed for Sam's car. Last year, for her sixteenth birthday, her parents had given her the most adorable little pink Ford Probe. Sam had quickly traded that back in and bought herself a small, but reliable, black hybrid coupe. "Thirty-five miles to the gallon," she'd bragged to the boys, "and no exhaust fumes if you're driving at under 25 miles per hour. Environmentally safe. And, also important? Not pink."

After the three had piled in the car and Sam had turned on the heat, Tucker asked, "So, Sam, are you going to the Winter Social on Friday?"

Sam shook her head. "Nah. I've got a ton of stuff to get done so I can apply for early acceptance for college. Plus, with Ember on the loose I figure at least one of us should probably be on alert."

"Well, I'm hoping to have her dealt with before Friday," Danny interjected. "I'll be more relaxed at the dance with Paulina if I don't have…" Danny stopped when he saw the angry look on Sam's face.

"You know, Sam," Tucker spoke up from the backseat, "if you're only staying home because you don't have a date, then you and I could…"

"Please, Tucker," Sam replied. "I'm not the sort of person who needs a date to go to a dance. Like I need some guy asking me to a dance to validate me. I…"

"Okay, Sam, we get it," Danny replied, sounding exhausted.

"Get what?" she asked, tersely.

"Sam, you do this before every dance. 'No, no, I don't want to go. I hope nobody asks me.' Well guess what, nobody is going to ask you. Frankly, I'm sick of it." Danny shot his friend a look. "You've pulled this since freshman year. If you're so fucking independent, why don't you just ask the guy you're obviously trying to bait into asking you?"

Sam slammed on the breaks in front of Danny's house. "Because I already know what his answer would be," she snapped back. "Here's your place. Go call Paulina," she said the other girl's name in the most mocking tone possible.

Danny got out of the car and slammed the door. Sam waited for a few seconds before turning to Tucker and saying "You get out too, Mister Pity Date."

Tucker climbed out of the car, slowly. As soon as he'd shut his door, Sam sped away at a speed that was probably not only illegal, but dangerous as well.

"We are horrible friends," Tucker observed.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Danny replied, heading into his place. "You wanna come in for some coffee or something?"

Tucker followed Danny into his house, saying, "What do you mean 'like you wouldn't believe?' Does this have anything to do with why, after spending all last spring looking like you were going to hook up with Sam, you're suddenly all about Paulina again? You know, right around the time where you wouldn't go gho…hi Mrs. Fenton."

Maddie Fenton looked up from her place at the kitchen table at Tucker. "Hi Tucker. Hi Danny. How was the mall?" she asked, cheerful as usual. She asked this while continuing to tinker with a piece of equipment on the table.

"Could've been better," Danny admitted, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Tucker, you want some?"

"Nah, you know I can't stand the taste of coffee," Tucker replied, sitting himself at the table. "But…if you had any hot chocolate, that I wouldn't mind…"

"I think we have some instant stuff in the cupboard," Maddie assured him.

"Great," Tucker stood up to get himself a cup but Danny shook his head. "I'll get it for you. You like those mini-marshmallows, right?"

"Yes. Seven. Exactly," Tucker reminded his friend.

"So, what went wrong at the mall? Or would that be prying?" Maddie asked.

"You mean before the ghost attack? Or before Sam turned into a raging bitch," Danny asked.

"DANNY FENTON!" Maddie said, sharply. "Language."

"Sorry mom," Danny blushed a bit. "But that's the only way to describe it. She just went off on me."

"Well, it seems like you two have been rocky ever since you dated last spring," Maddie poked at the machine she was holding with her screwdriver.

"We never dated, mom," Danny defended. "It…I…I thought for awhile it would work out, but there were a few complications. Not like it matters anyway." Danny brought Tucker his hot chocolate and finally sat down. "She's going away to college next year, probably to some place I could never get into. And her parents have never liked me and…well, there are other reasons, but it just wouldn't work out."

"Besides," Tucker added, "you've still got that thing for Paulina you haven't gotten rid of yet."

"Yeah, there's that too," Danny shook his head. "And…" he sipped his

coffee. "Never mind."

_Say my name._

_Say my name._

_Now, SCREAM my name, bitch._

Sam sat straight up in bed, gasping for breath. The last thing she remembered was coming home and falling asleep (she would not admit, even to herself, that she had fallen asleep because she'd been crying so damned hard). And then there had been those dream images, images of Danny Phantom over her, touching her…

And all he seemed to want was for her to say his name.

_But that doesn't seem like something Danny would say,_ Sam thought. _Well, at least, something Danny Fenton would say. Danny Phantom, that's another story…_

Sam shook her head and tried to sort out her thoughts. She'd had a fight with Danny. Well, at least this time it hadn't resulted in him losing his ghost powers and forgetting they'd ever been friends. So, not the worst fight they'd ever had.

Not the worst, but it seemed like the fights were happening more and more often. Ever since this past summer Danny had been acting strangely with her. She wasn't sure what had happened to make things weird for them, but they had gone from one month being closer than ever, to the next week when Danny's obsession with Paulina had come back.

_Oh well, boys will be boys. And stupid,_ Sam cracked a smile as the thought passed through her head. Maybe she should just go back to dealing with Danny's strange obsession with shallow, popular girls. _And it's not like I don't have SOME idea of what happened, I mean…we did both decide to slow things down…_

_I should call him,_ Sam thought. She was about to reach for the phone when she caught a glimpse at the clock. _Damn, midnight? I slept for a long time,_ she realized. Putting the phone down she decided to call Danny the next day.

_I think I'll just go back to sleep,_ she decided, closing her eyes and rolling onto her side.

"So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry," Danny admitted the next day. He'd shown up at Sam's place that morning looking extremely apologetic. "I…I shouldn't have said those things to you, it wasn't really fair of me. Apology accepted?"

Sam smiled. "Yeah. But, you know, I'm sorry too. I've been worked up lately over a lot of things. And, for the record, I wasn't trying to bait anyone into asking me to the dance. I really am staying home to get some stuff done."

"I understand," Danny smiled back at her. "So…um…do we wanna try the mall again?"

"Yeah, we probably should. Why don't you call Tucker and…"

"Actually," Danny interrupted, "I thought maybe we could go just the two of us. I…I need to pick out something for Tucker and I wouldn't mind your input."

"Oh, um, sure," Sam tugged nervously on the sleeve of her jacket. "Sounds like a plan."

"Great," Danny smiled. "But, um, if you don't mind, I'll drive this time."

"So, what were you thinking about getting Tucker?" Sam asked as she and Danny passed the Old Army store.

"I was thinking an upgrade of some sort. You know him, anything with the word 'upgrade' will be perfect," Danny replied, smiling. He looked down at Sam who stood a bit shorter than him these days. "What do you think?"

"I was thinking about maybe a…" Sam stopped short. "A Fender Strat?" she said, excitedly.

"Um, I don't think Tucker plays guitar. And if he does, I hope it's better than his singing," Danny stopped when he saw Sam running over to the same music store he'd fought Ember in the day before. "Whoa, Sam. What's up?"

"That Strat," Sam pointed to one of the guitars in the window. "The red one…I think it's from the Highway 1 series. Isn't it awesome?"

Danny looked at the guitar and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. Wait, since when do you know anything about guitars?"

"Huh? Um…I dunno. I just think it's a really sweet guitar," Sam stood, pondering. "Danny…I think I'm gonna buy it."

Danny did a double take. "Sam! Do you even play guitar?"

Sam shook her head. "No, but what great incentive to learn, right?" She grabbed Danny's arm and pulled him into the store.

The guy behind the counter was the same shaggy blonde haired guy who had run out of the store the day before. He looked to be in his mid to late twenties, the sort of guy who plans on working at a guitar store in the mall for the rest of his life. "Can I help you?" he asked Sam in a way that made Danny more than a little uncomfortable.

"Yeah," Sam smiled at him. "How much for the red stratocaster in the window?"

The boy smirked at her. "I think that's too much guitar for you, little girl."

_Oh shit,_ Danny thought, _I highly doubt Sam'll appreciate that comment…_

Sam laughed. "Oh, you think? Try me."

The boy smiled approvingly. "I might have to sometime." He paused. "Have we met before?"

"I don't think so," Sam looked at him quizzically. "What's your name?"

"Andrew," the guy responded. "And you are?"

"Sam. Sam Manson," Sam grinned at the boy. "Remember that name."

And that was when Danny had had enough. He grabbed Sam by the arm and pulled her out of the store.

"Danny, what the hell are you doing?" she asked, angrily.

"Get out of her body, now," Danny said.

"What?"

"I said, get out of Sam's body, Ember," he clarified.

Sam shook her head. "Danny, what are you talking about?"

"Look, I'm not so stupid I can't tell when one of my friends is being overshadowed. So, what, did you follow her home last night? Get her while she was asleep?"

Sam blinked. "Danny, what are you talking about? I'm not being overshadowed."

"Well, what about the sudden interest in guitars? And that Andrew guy?" Danny sputtered.

"What are you…oh, I get it," Sam said. "That's so sweet."

Danny blinked. "What?"

Sam shook her head a bit and smiled. "I get it, Danny. You're jealous because you missed your chance with me. But you really shouldn't be surprised. I mean, how long did you think I would wait for you to decide you wanted me again?"

Danny pulled away from Sam, obviously hurt by that comment. "I'm not jealous. And you're not Sam," he put his hands in his pockets and began to walk away. "Come on, we're leaving. I'll take you back to Sam's place."

"I'm telling you, Tucker, she just wasn't acting like Sam," Danny explained that night. Tucker was sitting in Danny's bedroom and listening as the other boy related the day's experience. "She was flirting with that guy. And then she accused me of being jealous. I don't think it's really her."

Tucker looked confused. "Are you sure, Danny? I mean, wouldn't your ghost breath thing be going off if she were being overshadowed?"

"Not necessarily," Danny replied. "Remember that time Kitty was overshadowing Paulina? I didn't sense it then. And then this past summer when…" he stopped talking. "Never mind."

"What? What happened this past summer? I don't remember any overshadowing related events this summer," Tucker paused. "Unless I was overshadowed at the time."

"No, no, this was…you weren't involved. Sam…Sam spent some time…a few days, tops, being overshadowed by Kitty. It was part of a plan she and Johnny 13 had, something about wanting physical bodies again, not wanting to go back to the ghost zone. Kitty was overshadowing Sam, and had plans for Johnny 13 to jump into my body…so he'd have my ghost powers too. At least, that's what she said," Danny shut his eyes. "I didn't realize it wasn't Sam for about three days. I felt so stupid…and I was."

He opened his eyes again. "Long story short, I don't have anyway of knowing if it's Ember or Sam in there. I mean the guitar thing was a hint, but the flirting with that guy? Didn't seem like either of them."

Tucker raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but Danny, how much do we know about her?"

"She's been our friend for twelve years now, Tucker. I think we know…"

"No, not Sam," Tucker interrupted. "Ember. We don't know anything about her. Who she was before she was…when she was alive. Maybe she was someone different then."

Danny brightened up. "Tucker, that's a great idea! You start researching on the Internet. I'm gonna go get some coffee," he paused. "And some hot chocolate for you. Seven marshmallows."

Danny started to run out of the room when he heard Tucker yell, "What am I supposed to be looking up?"

Danny poked his head back in the door. "Ember. Before she was Ember."

"_Are you sure about this?"_

_"Danny, there's nobody else I'd rather share this moment with."_

_"I just…I don't want us to regret this. Ever."_

_"I don't know that I could regret this. You're my best friend." _

_"I love you. You know that, right?"_

_"Yes, I do. And I always will."_

"_Good…"_

_Glowing green eyes_

"…_Now SCREAM my name, bitch."_

"You know, it's weird," Danny pointed out several sleepless hours later. "Usually if there's an evil plot from Ember she's a bit more vocal about it." He sipped his coffee. "Any luck yet?"

"Nah," Tucker replied. "Any search I run just turns up stuff about freshman year and the flop concert of hers. Nothing about her before two years ago."

"Nothing?"

"Nope, just a bunch of album reviews and lyrics."

Danny leaned over his friend's shoulder to look at the screen. "Geeze, I never realized exactly how cheesy the lyrics to that song of hers are." He drained the rest of the coffee from his cup. "This is going nowhere fast, is it?"

Tucker shook his head. "No. And we've got school in…" he looked at the clock, "five hours."

"If only there was a way to figure this Sam thing out, but how the hell do I figure out if someone's got a ghost in them…" Danny suddenly slapped himself on the forehead. "I am such an idiot. I should be able to know this…"

"Come on Danny, it's understandable…"

"No, Tucker, it's not. There is never an excuse for me looking into Sam's eyes and not knowing being sure it's her looking back."

Tucker stopped typing and looked at Danny, seriously. "Danny, what exactly happened last summer?"

Danny put his head in his hands. "It's…I'm a terrible person, Tuck."

Tucker stood up and put a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Let's get some sleep. We can get back to this tomorrow."

Back at Danny's house after school the next day, Tucker and Danny continued their search for anything that gave them a hint of what the pre-Ember Ember would have been like. They had originally invited Sam to come along so they could question and keep an eye on her, but she'd refused to talk to Danny all day, refused to talk to Tucker if he was with Danny, and then bolted right after school without saying a word.

"Still not getting anything?" Danny asked Tucker.

Tucker shook his head. "Not really," He turned back to the computer. "You know, maybe we should just call Sam and see if she'll talk to us about this."

"You think she would?" Danny asked.

"If you apologized for yesterday, yeah, maybe," Tucker continued typing furiously. "You've been doing a lot of apologizing to her lately anyway. What else do you have to apologize to her for?" Tucker turned around to see the hurt look on Danny's face. "Danny…I'm…I'm sorry, what did I say?"

"Tucker, did you ever do something that you don't think there's any way you could ever apologize enough for what you did?"

Sam's cell phone started ringing furiously as she stood in the cold and darkening evening. She checked the caller ID, sighed heavily, and then answered. "Hey Danny."

"Hey, um, Sam…" Danny sounded hesitant. "I…just wanted to call and…"

"It's okay Danny," She replied. "I understand. And…I think you might be right. I think there might be something…well, not quite right."

She looked down at the tombstone in front of her feet. She'd spent two hours looking for it after school and had found it just as she was afraid she would run out of light. She bent her knees and reached down to touch it's surface again.

"Sam?" Danny asked after he heard the sigh, "where are you?"

"Amity Park cemetery," Sam answered.

"What are you doing there?"

"Well, I was searching for a grave. And I found it."

There was a long pause from Danny. "Who's grave, Sam?"

Sam bit her lip lightly, and then replied with "Amber McLain."

She heard fumbling from the other end that she assumed was Danny dropping the phone. She waited a few seconds before she heard his voice on the other end again. "What did you say?" he asked.

"I'll explain everything when I get to your place, Danny," Sam stood back up. "Or, at least as much as I can explain."

"I guess I should have told you when I started to have the dreams," Sam began once she'd been ushered into Danny's room. "You had a right to know, after all."

"What sort of dreams?" Danny asked her.

"I started having them a few nights ago…right after the fight with Ember, in fact," Sam sat herself down on Danny's bed. "I knew what was causing them…or at least thought I knew. And it wasn't really something that could be helped…"

Danny cut her off. "Sam…what have you been having dreams about?"

Sam looked down at her hands. "The night of last year's Spring Fling dance."

Danny's eyes widened. "You…were having dreams about that?"

Sam nodded, still looking at her hands. "It…it wasn't about that, exactly. It was…well…" she glanced at Tucker, who had stopped working on the computer and had turned to face her. "It was that thing I told you about. That thing I was afraid of."

Danny shut his eyes tightly. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't think it was a big deal. And, well…what were you going to do? We'd already agreed that…that it wouldn't happen. So, I figured I didn't have to involve you." Sam sighed. "And…I was scared of how you'd react. I didn't want you to think I was afraid of you…"

"But you are?" Danny asked.

"No! I…" Sam was struggling to get through this talk. "They weren't constant. And up until a certain point they're…nice."

"Will somebody PLEASE let me in on WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" Tucker finally interrupted. "I am completely lost. What happened the night of Spring Fling? What sort of nightmares? What did you two…" Tucker finally stopped and looked at the faces his friends were making, at the fact that they couldn't look at each other. "Oh…oh…" his eyes widened. "Oh."

He nodded. "You guys…you…"

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"We had sex."

Danny said it factually. As if he could make it sound like something they all already knew.

Tucker looked confused. "How…how long has that been going on?"

"It was just that one time!" Sam defended. "We…both agreed that we wanted our first time to be with each other. So…we went back to my place and…had sex." She stumbled a bit as she said it. "And after that…"

"…We agreed to slow things down," Danny finished for her.

"But why?" Tucker asked. "You two were always…I mean, I'd always waited for it to happen. Why would you slow down after it took you both so long to finally…"

"Because I got scared," Sam said.

"We BOTH got scared," Danny corrected. "Sam and I agreed that we should share our first time…but in the middle of everything I…I could feel something was wrong. Something that shouldn't have been happening…"

"And that was?" Tucker asked.

"It was…I was starting to change. Into Danny Phantom."

Danny exhaled deeply. "I was losing control of that side of me. And we all saw what could happen if my human side lost control of my ghost half." He saw Tucker and Sam both shudder in remembrance of what Danny's ghost half could do if left unchecked. "And as for Sam…"

Sam took over from there. "I looked up at Danny and…his eyes were glowing green. And I told him…when it was over, that I couldn't deal with that. I couldn't look into the eyes of someone I loved and not be sure he was the one looking back at me."

It took all of them a moment to process that Sam had just said "loved" before they could continue. Danny closed his eyes and a pained look crossed his face.

"So, we decided that we couldn't do that again until we were both sure Danny Phantom would stay under control," Sam said. "But since then, I've had these dreams about the nice part…about everything leading up to us sleeping together. What we said to each other.

"But it doesn't end there, it keeps going…and after we're done talking, he changes and it's not Danny anymore…it's Phantom."

She let the name sink in for a second before continuing.

"And he's…saying things you never said, Danny."

"What's he saying?" Danny asked.

Sam paused for a second. "'Say my name.'"

"What?"

"'Say my name. Say my name,'" she paused. "'Now, scream my name, bitch.'"

Danny looked disgusted.

"Yeah, that's kinda how I've been feeling," Sam told him. "And then…with the guitar thing. And I've just been feeling, I dunno, lightheaded the past few days. Like I was sleepwalking. I was aware of what was going on, and what I was saying, but I couldn't really control it, or maybe I could. I don't know. And then…what happened this afternoon…"

"What happened this afternoon?" Tucker asked.

"I thought I was driving home. Instead I end up at Amity Park cemetery, looking for a tombstone for a person I'd never heard of before."

"Amber McLain," Danny said.

"Yeah, like Ember, but with an 'A,'" Sam smirked a bit. "What do you wanna bet…"

Tucker had already turned himself back to the computer screen. "Already on it." He typed for a few seconds and then watched the screen intently. "Hmmm…only about two hits for that name…" he clicked the first one. "Yearbook picture…"

Danny and Sam bent over to look at the screen. A young woman smiled back at them, a girl with her hair pulled high onto her head in a ponytail and a set of piercing blue eyes. "That's her?" Danny asked.

"Looks like," Tucker admitted. He clicked the back button and tried the other link.

"News paper article," he announced.

But the others had already seen the headline.

"Local Teen Dies in Car Crash," Danny read.

The picture that accompanied the article showed the burnt out remains of the car. Tucker began to scan the article for information.

"Says it happened about…five years ago this month. She was driving late that night and apparently swerved suddenly…"

"No."

Sam's voice interrupted, sternly. "It was a patch of black ice." She started backing away from the computer. "She never saw it."

Sam began taking increasingly quick breaths. Danny reached out for her, but she pulled away. She shook her head violently, then yelled "NO!" and ran for the bedroom door.

Tucker and Danny were following her immediately. She ran down the stairs and out the front door, not bothering to close it behind herself. She practically leapt into her car and gunned the engine.

"My car, now!" Danny ordered, pointing to his blue station wagon. "We've gotta follow her…"

"Wouldn't flying be faster?" Tucker asked. When Danny didn't answer, he jumped into the car and barely had time to buckle his seat belt before the engine roared to life.

Danny slammed on the gas pedal, following the breakneck speed Sam was driving at. Tucker gripped the door handle. "Danny, what's going on?"

"We've gotta make sure she doesn't hurt herself," Danny explained.

"Well, wouldn't it have made more sense for you to fly after her?"

Danny shook his head. "I don't want to use my powers for this. Not after…"

He paused. "Not after those dreams."

They drove behind Sam until she was about three miles passed the city limits. Then, she suddenly pulled her car off the road, stopping right in front of the bank of trees planted there. Danny quickly pulled off as well, slamming on his breaks to avoid hitting Sam's car.

Sam was already out of the car. Danny put his car into park, but left the headlights and ignition on as he climbed out. "Sam?" he asked, cautiously. He saw the girl walk over to the trees, slowly. He walked towards her, his feet crunching on the few inches of snow underneath them. "Sam?" he asked again when he was right behind her.

"It was right here," Sam told him. "She slammed into the trees right here. The car skidded on a patch of black ice. She was on her way back from a gig." Sam paused. "She might have been fine, if the car hadn't caught on fire."

Danny tried to take another step towards her, to put his hands on her shoulders, when he looked up and saw their new, and very much uninvited, guest.

"She didn't feel much," Ember continued for Sam. "She'd hit her head on the steering wheel and was losing consciousness when the whole car went up like a fireball. They said the fire was so hot that it burnt out her nervous system in less than a second. She never felt anything other than…"

"…Warm," Sam finished statement and then turned to face Ember. "She was warm."

Ember nodded. "But then she woke back up. And as it turns out, the guy who hurt her was just fine, he'd moved on like it was nothing. He didn't even come to her funeral. And she was dead. Everything she'd dreamed of was gone."

"And it wasn't fair," Sam added. "He was going to be able to move on and hurt other women, and she was never even going to be able to play her guitar again. Or so she thought."

"She was wrong. She came back. And she had the power to make sure no one ever forgot her name again. Except for him. He was the one person she could never control. But he still has to pay," Ember spat. "He still has to pay for what happened."

"Yes," Sam agreed. "He has to pay."

The two girls were facing each other now. Ember was smirking at Sam, as if the two girls had some secret joke between them. She raised her left hand and held it up, her palm facing Sam.

Hesitantly, Sam raised her left hand and placed her palm against the palm of Ember's hand.

There was a flash of light, and Danny and Tucker both had to avert their eyes for a second. When they turned back, only one girl was standing there.

It was Sam, sort of. Her black hair was now streaked with the same blues that normally streaked Ember's hair, and the smile was the same on the ghost girl had been wearing a few seconds ago. But it was the eyes that gave away what had happened.

Sam's eyes were normally violet. And Ember's were green. But the girl standing in front of the boys now had a pair of eyes that caught the light and shifted like purple and green flames.

"Sam?" Tucker asked, quietly.

"He has to pay," the girl replied, her voice echoing eerily. "Anyone who hurts people like that…he has to pay."

Danny started towards Sam-Ember, but stopped when she gestured at him. "Don't come any closer Danny. You can't stop this. This has to be done."

And with that, she rose into the air, floated for a few seconds, and then took off.

Danny shook his head furiously. "No. Not again."

"What do you mean 'not again?'" Tucker asked Danny. "Danny, what just happened?"

"I don't know. But…Tuck, you saw her eyes. Those weren't Sam's eyes," Danny was sounding hysterical. He gritted his teeth and Tucker could see his friend's eyes glowing bright green. Danny Fenton clenched his fists and suddenly, Danny Phantom was standing in the dark with Tucker.

Without saying a word, Danny took off into the night.

"Um…have we met?"

Andrew had answered his door when he heard the frantic knocking on it seconds earlier. He was surprised, but not at all upset, to see the young woman with the black and blue streaks in her hair standing on his doorstep.

"Sort of," she answered him. "I was in the guitar store the other day."

Andrew scratched his head. "There are a lot of girls in that guitar store," he smirked. "I think some of them come in just for me."

"Well, I've done something different with my hair since then," Sam smirked at both his comment and her reply. "I'm sure the girls would flock to the store for you, though. Mind if I come in?"

"Uh, I was just about to head to bed," Andrew started to say.

"Well, I don't see why that should stop me," Sam winked.

Andrew quickly escorted her inside. "Can I…uh…get you something to drink?"

"No thanks." Once the door was shut, Sam took a look around the place. There was an old couch up against one wall, the upholstery was falling off in bunches. The place was lit by a single lamp on an end table, which also had piles of random papers on it, some magazines, some sheet music, and other things she was unwilling to identify. She turned to him and said, "Wow, you haven't done much with the place. I mean, I think the table's new, but other than that, same old ugly couch."

Andrew looked confused. "What? Have you been…"

She smirked, wickedly. "You remember about…five years ago there would have been a girl who would come into the store and flirt with you? About my height, blonde hair? Played a pretty mean guitar?"

Andrew looked disinterested. "That could be a lot of people," Andrew retorted. "I don't really remember…"

"Do you remember any of them?" she asked, her smirk fading. "I'm guessing you say the same thing to all of them when they're in bed with you. 'Say my name. Scream my name, bitch.' Is that how it works?" Sam's eyes began to glow. "You make sure they know your name, but you could care less about theirs."

Andrew backed away from Sam, heading for the door. But just as he placed his hand on the knob, Sam grabbed him by the neck and threw him across the room onto his couch.

She continued. "This girl's name was Amber. Amber McLain. And she was amazing. She used to come into the store and flirt with you. Then, one day in September, you invited her over. And you made it all sound so romantic. And then…you fucked her."

As Sam spit out the last sentence, the pages of sheet music on Andrew's end table caught fire.

"What the hell?" he yelled, pushing himself to the opposite side of the couch.

"The next morning, you told her you'd call. And then, two weeks later, when she hadn't heard from you, she finally came back to the store looking for you. And do you remember what you said to her?" She waited for an answer. "Do you?"

Andrew gulped and shook his head.

"You said, 'Come on kid, it was just fun, right? Look, I'll talk to you about this some other time, Amy.'"

As she said the name "Amy," the armrest Andrew was closest to caught on fire. He jumped up, wide eyed and gasping, and backing up into his tiny kitchen.

"Her name wasn't AMY, jackass. It was Amber. And you didn't care," Sam-Ember was closing in on him, backing him into the sparse kitchen. "And she started to avoid you, to try and get over it. And it worked fairly well until one night that December, you showed up at one of her gigs. With another girl. And she saw you do the same things, heard you say the same things, you'd said to her to get her into bed. She got up on stage and choked. She couldn't sing. The whole thing was ruined.

"So she got in her car and started to drive back to Amity Park. And as she did, she hit a patch of black ice and skidded into a tree. Her car caught fire…and she burned to death."

She paused, and then smirked. "Do you know what it's like to burn to death?"

Andrew shook his head.

"Well, you're about to find out."

And with that, everything was ablaze.

Andrew panicked and tried to push past Sam-Ember so he could head for the door. She caught him with a knee to the groin, causing him to fall to his knees in pain.

"Funny thing is, Andrew, that girl came back. But she doesn't call herself Amber anymore. She likes it when people call her Ember." She placed her right hand under his chin and raised his face to meet hers. "I like it when people call me Ember," she clarified. "So…" she smacked him across the face. "Say my name."

"Ember," he choked out, nervously.

She raised her hand again and slapped, harder this time. "Say my name!"

"Ember," he repeated, slightly louder.

Finally, she placed her right foot on his chest and pushed him away, leaving him sprawled on the floor in front of her, his head bouncing off the floor and knocking him out. "Now…SCREAM MY NAME, BITCH!"

"SAM!"

Sam-Ember turned around, angrily, to see Danny Phantom standing behind her. She would have expected anger in his eyes, but instead there was something else. A pain, she decided. Then, she decided, she didn't care.

"Sam, stop this, this isn't you." Danny begged.

"No," Sam-Ember told him, her voice echoing again. "This is what has to be done. This is what I have to do."

"Sam! Listen," Danny struggled. "Look, this isn't you. You don't like violence, remember? This isn't the way you solve things."

He paused, catching his breath a bit. "Remember when you told me that you couldn't look into the eyes of someone you loved and not be sure they were the one looking back? Sam, I'm looking into your eyes right now…and it hurts. Because I know it's not you."

"What do you know?" She yelled. "It's not like you love me. What could you possibly know about looking into my eyes?"

"Because, Sam," Danny stopped and took a breath. "Because of the time I looked into them and you didn't look back. And then everything turned horrible."

Sam paused, the green in her eyes diminishing a bit. "What?"

"This past summer, there were a few days when you were…you were overshadowed by Kitty," Danny told her. "You don't remember any of it. And I never told you about it, because I didn't want to worry you," he shook his head. "No, I didn't tell you because I didn't know how to admit it to myself…or to you. And I didn't want to hurt you…and…"

There was a long pause. Then, Sam-Ember broke the silence.

"Admit what?" she asked.

Danny was choking as he continued. "While Kitty was in your body…she lured me back to your place one night, while I was still in Phantom mode. And she…seduced me. With your body." Danny struggled to finally get the secret out. "And…I…we…"

His eyes locked with hers, a pain he'd been containing for far too long showing in them.

"We had sex."

Sam-Ember drew back, horrified. "What?"

"I…I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't realize it wasn't…no," he shook his head. "This isn't working this way…"

Finally, he closed his eyes and changed himself back into Danny Fenton. Opening his eyes again, he continued. "No, I can't say that I didn't know it wasn't you. Because it's no excuse, no matter how badly I've wanted it to be an excuse. I can tell you I didn't realize it wasn't you, but that's not true.

"Because I did. I knew it wasn't you in there. And I told myself to stop. But I didn't listen.

"I…I don't want to say that I just lost control, or that I couldn't help myself, because that's…that's no excuse. All I can say is, when I found out the next morning that I had been right, it really hadn't been you…I…"

Sam-Ember took another step towards him, the blue in her hair fading, and a light bluish mist trailing behind her. "Danny…" she said. "You…"

"That's why I couldn't change for an entire month," Danny continued. "Every time I started to turn into Danny Phantom I would think about what I'd done to you…and…Sam, I…"

Sam closed her eyes for a second, squinting hard. She shook her head gently, and then opened her eyes back up.

Danny looked into her eye and, for the first time in days, saw Sam staring back at him, tears in her eyes.

"Danny…" she started. "I…"

Suddenly, a crash sounded from the living room, reminding both of them that they were surrounded by fire. "I think we need to have this conversation later," Sam said.

"Got it," Danny looked around, trying to assess the situation. "Where's Ember?"

Sam shook her head. "She's my problem now. I'm guessing from how long it took you to intervene, you brought the thermos?"

Danny handed Sam the cylindrical container. She accepted. "You get him," she nodded towards Andrew, "out of here. I've got Ember."

Nodding, Danny turned to the unconscious man on the ground. Danny transformed, grabbed a hold of Andrew, lifted him up, and then made both of them intangible. Before he left he yelled at Sam, "I'm coming back for you. I promise."

"Got it," Sam answered. "Now go."

Danny took off and was gone.

"I thought you would understand," Ember said, shaking. She was standing in the doorway to the kitchen and Sam could almost see tears in her eyes. "Now that you know…I thought you'd have some sympathy."

"I do have sympathy," Sam told her. "I have sympathy for Amber McClain. Someone she cared about hurt her, she died horribly, and she got fucked out of most of her life. But you? You're not Amber. You're Ember. You're just a bad memory of a girl who never got the chance she deserved." Sam aimed the thermos at the ghost girl. "And I have a feeling you're the parts of herself she wanted to forget."

This time, whether it because she was drained from joining with Sam and the lightshow they'd caused, or because of the weight of what she'd just been told, Ember couldn't dodge the thermos.

Sam capped the device, then turned and headed for the front door. Just as she was about to reach to pull it open, a flaming beam from the ceiling fell in her path. She drew back from the heat, looking around for any other possible exit.

When Danny Phantom appeared in front of her.

Sam screamed and slammed her eyes shut.

"Sorry!" Danny apologized. "I said I'd…"

"Yes, just hurry," Sam told him. Danny grabbed her by the waist and phased both of them through the fire out onto the small front lawn where Andrew was already waiting.

Danny set Sam down cautiously. He changed back into Danny Fenton, and then said, quietly, "Sam?"

She opened her eyes, saw Danny in front of her, and then collapsed to her knees, her tears falling onto the snow.

It was two days before Danny saw Sam again. She didn't come to school those two days, so Danny offered to take her homework over to her house. The last image he had was of her collapsing into the snow, and him not knowing whether to comfort her or give her space.

Sam's parents let him in, warily as usual. Danny walked up the stairs to Sam's room cautiously. He wasn't even sure she'd want to see him, wasn't even sure if she would be able to look at him.

He knocked on her door and heard her mutter, "Come in." He twisted the handle slowly, and then pushed the door open.

"Hey," he said, feeling stupid and not quite knowing what to say.

Sam looked up at him. She was dressed in a pair of purple pajama bottoms and a black tee shirt, and her face was devoid of make up. She looked like she'd had a rough couple of days. "Hey," she replied.

"I…um…I brought your homework over. Lancer wanted me to make sure you got it." He paused. "I just realized that man must teach every class at our school."

Sam cracked a smile. "You're just realizing that?" she asked. The smile quickly faded.

Danny set the stack of books down on Sam's desk. "So…um…how are you…"

"I think we need to talk," she interrupted. "Would you mind closing the door?"

Danny nodded in agreement. He closed the door and sat down at Sam's desk chair. "Sam, look, I…"

"Listen, Danny. I have to get this all out now or I don't know if I'll be able to without breaking down. A lot of this is really hard for me to say. But here goes." She took a deep breath.

"I'm really fucking pissed at you."

She paused for a second before continuing. "I'm pissed because you kept this from me for so long. I'm really fucking upset that you didn't tell me what had happened. And I fucking hate Danny Phantom right now. What if something had happened? What if I'd gotten pregnant?"

"We used a condom," Danny interrupted, feeling increasingly dumb as the words flew out of his mouth.

"Well, that's a small relief," Sam countered sarcastically. "But Danny, I still needed to know. But at the same time…" she took a deep breath. "I understand why you kept it from me."

Danny sat in silence, his eyes wide.

"They say that rape victims often have a hard time talking about what happened to them…"

Danny interrupted again. "But Sam…you're the one…you were…"

"Look, Danny, I had sex with the ghost half of my best friend while I was overshadowed by an incorporeal slut. I at least have the pseudo-luxury of not really remembering what happened. But, if what you told me was right, you told Phantom not to go on with the sex, and he didn't listen. He had sex with me, using your body, while you were conscious of it, without your consent. You were an unwilling participant in a sex act. Sounds like rape to me."

"But that's not really…"

"There's not going to be a good definition for what happened to either of us, Danny. But we are both victims here.

"Look, I probably wouldn't feel this way and I definitely wouldn't be so forgiving if I hadn't spent most of this week with Ember in my head. Not overshadowed, but sharing memories with her, having her influence me in some way I'm still not real clear on. But, after what happened the other night, after sharing my body with something that acts purely on instinct like that, well, I know how hard it can be to dominate that side of you, or get it to listen to logic. You saw what I turned into. And you knew it wasn't me.

"And, more importantly, Danny Fenton, the boy I've loved for years, proved he can look into my eyes and see me there. And more important, see if I'm not there. That…that means a lot."

There was some silence before Sam sighed loudly. "So, basically, what I want to get across here is that we're both victims and we've both been through something that we could probably never explain to anyone else. And we're both going to need someone to talk to and to help us deal with all of this. To tell the truth, the first thing I wanted to do after all of this happened was to talk to you and have you tell me it would all be okay. And, I think I still kind of want that."

"What?" Danny asked.

"I think I want us to stick together through this," Sam told him earnestly. "I think it's usually easier for victims if they stick together through this sort of thing."

She stood up and crossed the room until she was right in front of him. "So, I was…thinking. Would…would you want to go the Winter Formal together?"

Danny closed his eyes for a second. "Honestly, Sam? I would love to." He opened his eyes and stood up. "But, the truth is, I don't know that I'm ready for that yet. And, well, no offense, but I don't know that you're really ready for it either." He paused, then, seeing the look on her face, continued with, "I think I'm going to go alone. And I'd love to see my best friend there. So, I hope you'll come anyway."

Sam's face brightened just a bit. "Well, maybe I'll make an appearance," she replied, a tiny hint of her razor sharp wit showing through again. "Save me a dance?"

Danny nodded. "I promise."

For a few moments they simply stood there, looking into each other's eyes and waiting for something, anything, that could make it all right again.

But deep down they both knew that this was what was right.

And it burned.

To Be Continued…

A.N. I've placed the ages of the crew at 16 for the boys and 17 for Sam because we don't have information on birthdays yet, and I'm going with the theory that Sam has a fall birthday and hence would be a few months older than the boys.

I owe a big "Thank you" to randomsomeone for letting me bounce ideas off of her at 3 AM in the morning. Especially when they were ideas for a fic that isn't even in her fandom.

"Danny Phantom" and all characters and likenesses are owned by Butch Hartman. Who may not like the idea of under-aged sex. I'm not sure. Anyway, I don't own any of this, I'm not making any money off of it, and I in no way claim anything I've said here is canon. Please don't sue me.


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